Notes for Sunday April 3 + Snow Music Video Info + Church Service Info

Hi all! Big post so here we go:

Snow Music Video Info

Date: Saturday April 2
Time: 9:00am-1:00pm
Location: Micou's Island, French Village NS
Directions: From the Peggy's Cove Rd coming from Tantallon, turn right onto Indian Point Rd (just past 'APD Motorsports'). Continue on Indian Point Rd (as you are going up the hill you will have to veer left to stay on Indian Point. Rd). At the bottom of the hill you will see water on your left - YOU'RE THERE!
Parking: There is very limited roadside parking and since there is a major cleanup scheduled for this weekend on the island, parking may be very limited. Leave some extra time in your schedule to get situated.
Driving Time: Approximately 35-40 minutes from downtown Halifax.
What To Wear: Refer to this blog post. HIGHLY advise wearing rainboots, hiking boots, or winter boots as it will likely rain the day before and you will want to have dry feet.
What to Bring:

• snacks for yourself (please be extremely conscientious of your garbage)
• guitar/uke if you have one (comment on the Facebook post for this blog post so we know who is bringing one - we don't need 15 of them!)
• thermos/mug 

Reminder to update the driving list on the Google Spreadsheet BEFORE SATURDAY.

Any questions or concerns between now and Saturday, text or call Claire at 902-223-7828.

Church Service

Date: Sunday April 3

Time: 9:00 am call, 10:30 am service, should be finished around 11:30 am

Location: Edgewood-Oxford United Church (now called Hope United), 3055 Connaught Ave. Halifax

Repertoire: Kyrie, O Vos Omnes (both from House of Bernarda Alba, no choreography) + Starborn/Birth of Unity and Remember Me (both of these scores will be posted on the Facebook group as well as links to recordings)

Parts: As per our usual 3-part divisi (or whatever Christina instructed you to sing on Sunday); Brianna is singing 1st and Nikki is singing middle

What to Wear: Nice black clothing (your own, not tunic or Xara dress), solid coloured scarf (pashmina)

Notes: We will be running the pieces as well as hymns for the service from 9-10 am. 

Sunday's Rehearsal

12:30 Stool Building

1:15 Physical Warmup

1:25 Vocal Warmup
1:35 El Grito music
1:55 El Grito & A3S3 blocking
2:35 Virita Criosa 5 music
2:50 Virita Criosa 5 & A3S4 blocking
3:40 Break & Costumes
4:00 Run
5:00 Notes 

Anyone who has a Philip's head screwdriver and can be there on Sunday at 12:30 to help assemble Ikea stools, it would be super helpful! Note that El Grito and Virita Criosa 5 must be memorized for Sunday's rehearsal. Reminder that Alto 2s are on snack! If you have costume pieces given to you by Dan for the show, please bring them on Sunday and wear them for the run!

Please note that April 10 is the OFF-BOOK DATE FOR EVERYTHING. Music, spoken text, choreography, transitions - it all must be off-book/memorized/performance ready for that date. We are just over a month away from opening and so we are ready to kick it into high gear!!!!

Rehearsal Notes - March 28

O Vos Omnes - video

Mm 1 - 18 Sitting and singing and looking at Angustias.

Mm 19 - 25 “SI (cut)” - Right hand reach toward Angustias, “DO” left hand grab right hand and “SI (milis)” bring it to your chest (right hand in a fist, left hand flat on top). The action should start when your part begins singing.

Mm 26 - 28 Hands come out as if they are floating on water just lower than boob height

Mm 29 - 31 Wring out the washcloth three times (right hand wrings forward first), your hands will get closer together as you do this action. Lots of tension in your hands.

Mm 32 - 35 Drop your left hand to your left thigh and bring your right hand to your heart. Move when you sing.

Mm 36 - 53 Sitting and singing and looking at Angustias.

54 - End Same actions as Mm 19 - 35, but now that Martirio has entered some of the focus will shift to her.

Virita Criosa 4

Mm 1 - 16 Move to new Gallery positions with purposeful energy

Mm 131 - 136 Look at one another as if you are plotting to intervene in the action.

Mm 137 - 138 Look over your downstage shoulder toward Bernarda (in the balcony)

Mm 139 - 144 Look at one another as if you are plotting to intervene in the action.

Mm 145 - 146 Look over your downstage shoulder toward Bernarda (in the balcony)

Mm 147 - 150 Watch the Servant enter and watch the movement score that occurs

Mm 151 - 154 Gallery slowly stand up starting with upstage chairs.

Mm 155 - 159 Adela enters. Lean upstage, hands on the shoulder of the person next to you, starting with people who are furthest upstage. Fade away on the last note.

 

Notes for Monday March 28

Hi everyone!

We hope you all have a wonderful long weekend! Reminder that rehearsal is MONDAY MARCH 28 from 6-9pm at St. Matthew's.

Monday March 28

6:00 Physical Warmup
6:10 Vocal Warmup
6:20 O Vos Omnes Music
6:30 O Vos Omnes Blocking
7:00 Virita Criosa 4 Music
7:15 A3S2 + Virita Criosa 4 Blocking
8:05 Break + Tickets for March 31 Fundraiser
8:20 April 3 Repertoire

Memorization Schedule

We have decided to alter the memorization schedule slightly for the next couple of weeks. For this coming Monday, you only need to have Virita Criosa 4 memorized. We are also expecting O Vos Omnes to be super solid on Monday since there was still quite a bit of memory work left after this past Sunday. El Grito has been pushed until April 3 for memorization. 

April 3 Repertoire

We will be singing Kyrie and O Vos Omnes + two other easy pieces from our library on April 3. Reminder that the church service is at Edgewood-Oxford United Church (the church where we decorated the wreaths!)

Upcoming Dates

Monday March 28, 6-9 pm Easter Monday Rehearsal

Thursday March 31, 8 pm Board Room Cafe Fundraiser

Saturday April 2, 9:30am-2pm Snow Music Video Shoot

Sunday April 3, morning, Church Service at Edgewood-Oxford United Church

Sunday April 3, 1:15-5:30 pm, Regular Xara Rehearsal

Fundraising

Tenille will have tickets for you on Monday for our Board Room Cafe fundraiser. Reminder to reserve how many spots you need by filling out this spreadsheet!

Alba Transitions & Start Pitches

Miserere - opening pitch set off stage

Bells Transition - low A pitched by altos from their final note in Miserere (four bongs); pause after first four bongs; bell cluster (D, C, A)

Kyrie - D taken from the D in the bell cluster

O Frondens Virga - carry over D from Kyrie

Virita Criosa 1 - carry over D from O Frondens Virga

La Luna Asoma - pitch whole tone up from D of the last three pieces

Virita Criosa 1 (Repeat) - pitch D down a whole tone from the Alto's last note in LLA

Las Amarillas - pitched by solo (Georgia, with tuning fork)

Cancion de jinete - pitched by solo (Nikki, with tuning fork)

Bells - Four low G# bongs (taken from Sara's last solo note in Cancion)

Virita Criosa 2 - D spread by Nikki using tuning fork at "Why did you call me?" (Amelia)

Virita Criosa 3 - D taken from VC2

Corazon de espinas - Ominous soundscape under Servant's and Poncia's last lines (begin with Altos on low E - taken from tuning fork by ?? - add A1 sliding motive ; add S2 chords; add S1 chords and disonance; add "espinas" whispers)

O Vos Omnes - pitch taken from S2 final note of Corazon

Virita Criosa 4 - lower the final S2 note in OVO by 1 semitone

El Grito - same pitch as the last note of VC4

Virita Criosa 5 - D spreads (Nikki) + rapid crescendo under BERNARDA: Behave! Behave! Quiet! If only I ad a thunderbolt between my fingers! MARTIRIO: She was with him! Look at her petticoat, full of straw!

Notes for Sunday March 20

Hi everyone!

Thanks for your great work on Sunday! It's exciting to see the show coming together, with each element getting stronger each week! We are thrilled with the pace - let's keep it up!

Here's the plan for Sunday:

1:15 By call: Angustias team and Adela team
1:45 Physical Warm Up - FULL COMPANY ARRIVES
1:55 Vocal Warm Up
2:05 A2S4 blocking
2:20 Corazon music
2:40 Corazon blocking
3:30 BREAK
3:45 Fund Raising Update
4:00 O Vos Omnes music
4:20 A3S1 & O Vos Omnes blocking
5:05 Music for April 3 Church Service

Reminder that Corazon de espinas and O Vos Omnes are to memorized for Sunday. Reminder that we are now doing O Vos Omes a semitone down. Reminder that sop 2s are on snack!

Memorization

All speaking roles should have Act 2 text memorized for Monday, March 28 and Act 3 text memorized for Sunday, April 10.

Virita Criosa 2 & 3 Choreography Guides

Here is the link to the choreography guides for VC 2 & 3!

Notes for Sunday March 13

Hi everyone,

Great work on Sunday!! We are looking forward to making more and more progress each week! :)

Note that for this week, you do not have to have any new pieces memorized. However, we expect all pieces of music/blocking that we have already worked on to be memorized and performance ready. This includes everything up to the end of Virita Criosa 3 (Act 2, Scene 4). Note that for all speaking roles, we are expecting all text/blocking for Act 1 to be memorized for Sunday.

Here's the plan:

1:15 Physical Warm up
1:25 Vocal Warm up
1:35 Music Fixes
3:15 Break
3:30 Blocking Fixes
4:30 Run
5:15 Debrief + Notes

Dan will also be present on Sunday to do costume fittings. Please review his notes on the Facebook page and bring in any requested items for him to work with on Sunday. 

Small Music Tweaks

Christina has made a couple of tweaks to some music items for The House of Bernarda Alba:

• The first two bars of Las Amarillas will be a solo - Christina will audition for this on Sunday during rehearsal
• The first two bars of Cancion de jinete will be a solo - Christina will audition for this on Sunday during rehearsal
• In order to keep the key relationships happy, we will be singing O Vos Omnes down a semi-tone (now in B minor)

Future Dates

Just a reminder that there is no rehearsal on Sunday, March 27 since it is Easter weekend. Rehearsal will be Monday, March 28 from 6-9 pm.

In addition, please make sure the April 3 church service performance at Edgewood-Oxford United is in your calendars.

Auditions

We have set an audition date for the 2016-17 season for new singers. If you know anyone who may be interested in auditioning, please get them to email us at info@xara.ca. We are auditioning for all voice parts. Auditions will be Tuesday April 12. Tenille will be sharing on social media in the coming weeks, so please make sure to share and retweet once it's out to the public!